Teachers/Former Teachers...Are you still in the profession? If you chose to quit, when and why?

You will likely find that there is “so much more b.s. involved” in any profession you go into.

I was an adjunct instructor at a college up until this semester, when budget cuts forced them to eliminate the salaries of various adjuncts. I enjoyed it, and would happily return if I was asked again.

By B.S. I assume you mean stupid school politics, drama between faculty members and administration issues?

Both my parents are retired teachers, so I’ve heard quite a bit of what it’s like to be a teacher. In spite of all this I might become a teacher myself.

Politics and drama are part of all professions, as @MrItty said. You just can’t let it get in the way of your love for teaching. That’s what it’s all about, although the administrators seem to forget that sometimes…

If you don’t think you can deal with it anymore, try asking around at other schools in your area. But chances are you’ll find similar situations exist in almost all school systems. That’s just how it works, unfortunately. Unless it’s making you absolutely miserable, keep focusing on the good things and try to stick it out! Good luck.

We all have periods where we want to get out. I’m in my fifth year, and this year I feel like I’m starting from scratch. The b.s. never goes away, but we do get better at it. If you still love the kids and the classroom, then keep on trucking. They’re the most important part of the equation.

only a few years until tenure, right? :)

You control what happens in your classroom and that’s pretty much 95% of the job. The other 5% can be aggravating. There is a lot of hoop jumping and conflict and turf wars, much of it caused by limited funding . But there are also alot of people in the same boat, and you are bound to find a few who see the bs for what it is.
Also, realize that even in the best circumstances teaching is a tough, stressful gig, even for those of us who love it. Try to get “business” done in the morning when everyone is fresh and not distracted by whatever drama happen during the day.

I can definitely relate! This is a lot of b.s that comes in the way of you enjoying your job- workplace politics, low pay, little support from administrative staff/colleagues/teachers/students, stress, massive amounts of planning/prep, the money you continually pull out of your pocket to pay for resources etc. As everyone said though, you will find this in any profession in which you choose to work.

I’ve only been teaching for a few years now and after being placed in some difficult schools and enduring some harrowing experiences (being physically threatened, spat at, sworn at, putting up with students pretending to shoot me while I teach or throwing things at me, students who have tried to make feel uncomfortable by touching me/cornering me into places/standing too close/whispering things in my ear ) I often also question whether this is the right career choice for me.

Don’t get me wrong- I really enjoy teaching and love my students but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth all the stress! I’m not sure where everyone is from, but where I live in Australia, teaching is very exclusive industry to break into! This is ironic considering that we are the lowest paid State in Australia! It’s incredibly competitive and difficult to get a job in one of the better State or Independent schools. As a result of this, many teachers are forced into working in some of the tougher State schools which offer little support to staff. At the end of the day- if you don’t have the support of either student’s parents or the school’s administrative staff, it is impossible to enforce any sort of behavioural program within the classrooms because the students know that it’s just an empty threat!

I think it really comes down to whether the passion is still there or not. If it’s not (and it can happen for whatever reasons) it’s time to change. There is nothing worse than being one of those bitter old teachers who hate children and their job, but stay there because they’ve been there for the last 30 years and don’t know what else to do with themselves.

I recently came to a fork in the road where I really questioned my future in the industry. At the time I was just finishing up some work at a high school and was involved in helping them put on their end of year production. It was a huge success and the boys were fantastic! I was filled with pride for both the boys and my efforts and honestly didn’t want to leave the school. One of the students came up to me at the end and told me how much he had enjoyed the experience and wish I didn’t have to leave. It all became clear to me then and I said to him:
“Teaching can be a very tiresome and often feel like a thankless job. As a result of this, we sometimes lose sight of why we are educators. However, once in a while we are fortunate enough to share in moments like these with a student or students and you suddenly remember why you love your job! It’s students like yourself that continually rekindle my passion for teaching and keep me in the profession!”

I’m going on my 5th year of teaching and I can’t really see myself doing anything else. I’m teaching college… so I’m sure that I deal with a different type of b.s. than k-12 does. I’ve never had anyone threaten me or anything, so I’ve been really lucky. They only thing I’ve delt with is the inter-departmental politics… which is probably as bad as a 3rd grade argument over a Zebra Cake. :)

You all helped alot, thank you! Comiserating is helpful!